Alumni Connect and Celebrate During GS Reunion Weekend
Hundreds of GS alumni, friends of the School, and their guests returned to the Morningside Campus to reconnect, celebrate, and enjoy several new and exciting events during Reunion.
This year’s Reunion Weekend festivities kicked off on June 1 with a Welcome Reception hosted by the General Studies Alumni Association (GSAA), at The Owl’s Tail, a popular cocktail bar on the Upper West Side. Alumni from diverse class years enjoyed mingling and meeting one another, as the staff served gourmet treats and specialty drinks like the “Dark and Stormy Owl”.
“It’s really exciting to welcome the community back in this way,” said Aviva Zablocki, Director of Alumni Relations for GS. “It’s incredible to know we had guests join us who had just graduated from Columbia the other week, and then we have alumni who haven’t been back to campus in 50 years. It feels so special to have everyone come together in this way.”
Friday’s events kicked off with the Afternoon Tea Party held at Lerner Hall. A recent addition to Reunion, the event has quickly grown into a beloved favorite. Guests enjoyed tea sandwiches and pastries, in addition to a coffee bar, tea selection, wine, and beer. Recent graduates and current students enjoyed meeting with alumni and their guests at this casual gathering held as the lead up to evening events.
Later that evening, GS hosted the exciting “Celebration of the Performing Arts at Columbia” at Miller Theatre. GS has long been home to some of the world’s leading performing artists, and this special event featured exclusive musical, dance, and theatrical performances by both students and alumni. Original songs were performed by both Sondra Woodruff ‘19GS and Sumar Frejat ‘22GS, and ballet pieces were performed by professional dancers Ali Block ‘20GS and Brittany Shinay ‘23GS. Maria Phegan ‘14GS, a founding member and Creative Director of Dancers of the Met (DotM), collaborated with fellow GS community members from the Metropolitan Opera to perform a selection of dance pieces.
After the performances, the audience was treated to a conversation featuring the performers and led by GS Board of Visitors (BOV) members, Michael Novak ‘09GS, Artistic Director of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and actress Rachel Ticotin ‘19GS. Both Novak and Ticotin, alongside fellow alumna and BOV member Alicia Graf Mack ‘03GS, Dean and Director of Dance at The Juilliard School, collaborated on the curation and direction of this year’s show. After the event, guests were escorted next door to Lerner Hall for a celebratory reception.
Saturday featured a full day of programming, beginning with a special breakfast held at Faculty House and celebrating anniversary class years. Welcome remarks were made by Ronnie Chang ‘18GS, a former student leader with the Columbia military veteran community who was thrilled to be back on campus to celebrate his fifth Reunion. Chang introduced Dean Rosen-Metsch who gave an anniversary toast and invited guests to share their favorite memories from their time as students. Guests discussed their favorite professors and classes, and alumni in the room were recognized for celebrating their anniversary Reunion years.
Next was the annual Reunion Lunch, held in the Presidential Ballroom at Faculty House. After Jill Galas Hickey, Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations welcomed guests, Ebonnie Goodfield ’23GS, Vice President of Columbia MilVets, moderated a discussion and Q&A with a panel of current GS students. Each student spoke about their personal journey to Columbia, and the ways in which they found their community and home at the School.
The diverse experiences of the panelists, including their impressive academic and extracurricular accomplishments, reminded guests of the unique and extraordinary community fostered by their alma mater.
This year’s Saturday afternoon Reunion programming featured a special book talk held in partnership with the Center for Veteran Transition and Integration (CVTI), the national organization for veteran services housed at Columbia University.
CNN Entertainment Reporter Chloe Melas and U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former President of the New York Mets Sandy Alderson, sat down for a conversation moderated by Jason Dempsey ‘03GSAS, ‘06GSAS, ‘08GSAS, Executive Director of CVTI. The panelists discussed the New York Times best-seller Luck of the Draw, the autobiography written by WWII Air Force veteran Frank Murphy that features a foreword by Melas, Murphy’s granddaughter.
Following the panel, guests were escorted to Kent Hall, home to the brand new space for CVTI and enjoyed the annual Veterans Reception, a popular event that’s open to the military community across multiple undergraduate and graduate schools at the University.
The rest of the afternoon was filled with refreshments, delicious hors d’oeuvres, and great conversation at various receptions celebrating the GS community. At the receptions for Dual and Joint Degree Program and Postbac Premed Program alumni, students, and graduates connected with old friends and formed new relationships with those from all class years and academic courses of study. Attendees shared memories and had a champagne toast at the Dual and Joint Degree and Postbac Premed Program receptions.
Reunion Weekend concluded with the spectacular annual GS Reunion Dinner held in Lerner Hall’s Roone Arledge Auditorium. More than 200 alumni, friends of the School, and guests enjoyed an elegant cocktail reception before making their way to their tables for welcome remarks from Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch '90GS.
Following dinner, 2022 Owl Award recipient Kirsty Jardine '15GS, '16PH, Co-Chair of the GS Alumni Association (GSAA), joined Dean Rosen-Metsch on stage for the announcement of the 2023 winner. In recognition of a decade of outstanding service to the GS, most recently in her role as Chair of the Board of Visitors (BOV), Dean Rosen-Metsch announced that this year’s winner of the Owl Award was Allison Fillmore ‘97GS.
Originally created in 1959 by Barbara Levy ’48GS and Marshall Page ’35GS, the GS Owl Award is given annually to a GS graduate, faculty member, or benefactor for exemplary service to GS, reflected by a sustained commitment to creating and building community, supporting and enriching School programs, and enhancing student life.
The evening came to a close with a final gathering of alumni from all schools for the Starlight Reception on Low Plaza, where desserts and dancing under the stars concluded the weekend.
To view additional photos from the weekend’s festivities, visit the GS Alumni Facebook page, and follow us for updates about upcoming alumni events!